Straddie saved from Receding Hairline

Sep 10, 2008

The series of weather occurrences late 2007 have taken there toll on the sand hills of Gold Coast. Straddie has copped a battering and trees have fallen like a receding hairline. No one likes the prospect of loosing their hair and Straddie surfers do worry about maintaining their break.

Queensland Transport to the Rescue

Thankfully the three Queensland Transport Engineers who manage the sand pumping jetty are on the job. They have successfully maintained the sand banks at Straddie for decades. Perhaps this should be considered for the surfing hall of fame. Considering Neil Lazarow's (Griffith University) study indicated $20 million annually generated from surfing Straddie to the local economy - far out earning infrastructure heavy proposals like shipping terminals, marinas for the wealthy etc. without the obvious loss of public open space.

All we want to see at Straddie are waves and wallabies, so noticing some heavy equipment tracks winding through the sand hills are enough to send shivers up your spine. The roar of heavy equipment and the sad memory of council throwing up a hasty cement track recently over primary sand dunes (still not finished) weighed on my mind.

Talking to Russel and Allan of the Queensland Transport who along with another engineer manage the sand pumping jetty completely relieved any thought of more sand dune destruction. They had recently adjusted the pipe to spill sand earlier in an attempt to shore up the sand hills over the usual low swell period of September October. They were also working on chasing a possible leak in the pipe.Great work guys - I wonder how many surfers realise that because of your work we get to surf some great waves. The gold coast is full of people dedicated to preserving it so all can enjoy it. Generally speaking those seeking to change this are often those that don't go there - except perhaps to light the odd fire but that is another story.